Team Obama goes into emergency-restrategizing mode

posted at 4:01 pm on October 4, 2012 by Erika Johnsen

After that rather embarrassing performance last night, Team Obama is changing tack at warp speed. They’ve certainly got their work cut out for them, considering what will be the most effective ways to tear down Mitt Romney and put President Obama back on top. They’re still using the recent “either Romney must raise taxes on the middle class, or he must increase the deficit, those are the only two possible outcomes”-line, but adding some fun new framing. As BuzzFeed summarizes,

President Barack Obama and his aides rapidly reversed their strategic course Thursday morning, shifting the center of their attacks on Mitt Romney back toward the oldest criticisms of the Republican: That he’s a flip-flopper.

Democrats had long been torn over whether to portray Romney as too conservative, or too inconsistent, for the electorate — realizing that the attacks are inconsistent with one another. And since this spring, they seemed to have settled on the former, casting Romney as a conservative whose policies of cutting taxes and spending, and on abortion and other social issues, are too far right for most voters.

Thursday they returned abruptly to the earlier line. …

Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt said the campaign’s task over the next several days is to “Make sure every voter understands the positions Mitt Romney danced around last night.”

President Obama was already out on the attack at a campaign rally in Denver earlier this morning, arguing that “the very spirited fellow” onstage last night just “couldn’t have been the real Mitt Romney”:

While the real Mitt Romney has been promising $5 trillion in tax cuts and saying the country doesn’t need more teachers, Obama said, “the fellow onstage last night” said the opposite.

“The man onstage last night, he does not want to be held accountable for the real Mitt Romney’s decisions and what he’s been saying for the last year. And that’s because he knows full well that we don’t want what he’s been selling for the last year,” Obama said.

In much the same vein, Obama for America has released their latest ad, wondering, “Why won’t Mitt Romney level with us?”

David Axelrod lamented about that foxy Mitt Romney during a conference call this morning, via Politico:

“What the president hoped to avoid was a situation where you had two politicians standing there insulting each other instead of offering ideas for the future of the country, but you know, you have to strike a balance,” Axelrod said in a conference call with reporters. “You can’t allow someone to stand there and basically manhandle the truth about their own record and ideas and about yours and not deal with that. I’m sure that is a takeaway from this debate.” …

“This was the first chance for the president to see how Gov. Romney operates in these debates first hand,” he said. “You have to make some adjustments to the fact that, you know, he is kind of a serial, …artful dodger. That makes it a more challenging kind of event.”

So, sounds like Team Obama has decided on their post-first debate “adjustments” and that that’s the type of thing we’re going to be hearing a lot over at least the next few days — Mitt Romney is dishonest, we can’t keep up with his changing storylines, he’s a rhetorical trickster, rabble rabble rabble. Following Team Obama’s lead, the liberal blogs are all buzzing about the $5 trillion tax cut moment as one of Romney’s biggest weaknesses from the night, but here’s a simple explanation from the CSMonitor:

It is true that a central facet of Mitt Romney’s economic plan is a 20 percent across-the-board reduction in marginal tax rates, plus elimination of the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax (AMT). Do the math on how much money the federal government would forgo as a result of this, and it’s about $456 billion a year. Over 10 years, that rounds up to $5 trillion. That’s the calculus behind the “$5 trillion tax cut” figure that Obama cites.

However, that’s only part of the tax plan. Romney has said he would make his overall tax changes revenue-neutral. He’d hack out deductions, exemptions, and other exclusions to broaden the tax base, for one thing. For another, he says that lowering marginal rates would increase economic activity, and hence tax revenue. These changes would counterbalance any revenue lost from rate reductions, according to Romney.

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President Obama was already out on the attack at a campaign rally in Denver earlier this morning, arguing that “the very spirited fellow” onstage last night just “couldn’t have been the real Mitt Romney”:

Unfortunately for Obama “the very dumb fellow” onstage last night was the real Barack Obama.

The next debate is CNN’s phony “town hall.” After Zero’s Mile High Meltdown, there will be NOTHING but nasty questions from Zero voters. Hope Romney’s ready for the onslaught. It’ll be one “I am part of the 47% you hate” and “show us your taxes” question after another. CNN will be in full Cover Zero’s Ass mode. It’ll be tougher for Romney, because he cannot just dump a bucket of fail on “ordinary citizens” (read: Zero’s campaign workers) like he did on Zero.

If anybody knows about dancing around positions it’s Orhumba himself. He’s flip-flopped on, danced around, and just flopped over so many contradictory positions it’s a wonder he’s not in traction today.

Liberals are limited to seeing only the 2 possibilities of raising taxes or increasing the deficit, because Liberals have absolutely no idea how to GROW THE ECONOMY.

wren on October 4, 2012 at 4:09 PM

And Romney even answered this in great detail yesterday. He listed the 3 ways to increase revenue and dismissed raising taxes as the worst option available if the goal is to also grow the economy at the same time. It’s like the Dems are stuck in talking points mode and can’t engage in a substantive debate. Which I suppose is the end result of having a pathetic candidate who knows nothing but demagoguery.

The only thing more dangerous than a wounded, bleeding, rabid wolverine is a wounded, bleeding, rabid Chicago Machine politician.

Bruno Strozek on October 4, 2012 at 4:11 PM

The Ambassador of Kenya telling close friends that Obama has asked for asylum there as Obama is very concerned that the Chicago Boys, as well as George Soros, are very disappointed in his debate performance.

A leader will always dominate the discussion! It is clearly obvious who that was ! All the media spin won’t save Obama from himself. I felt Romney needed to win big last night. They should have used the 10 run rule and called it in the 5th inning! But on second thought….. I don’t want a 10 run, not even a 100 run rule. I want to see Obama and the dems so whipped that they never come back.
No mercy ! Bring it Romney!!!!

The only thing more dangerous than a wounded, bleeding, rabid wolverine is a wounded, bleeding, rabid Chicago Machine politician.

Bruno Strozek on October 4, 2012 at 4:11 PM

No kidding. That internal debate Zero’s team was having about illegally releasing a dozen years of Romney’s tax records? You know, the one where they were saying things like, “Well, it is a felony to release IRS records like that…”

What you folks plainly saw is not what you think you saw. It was all a sham. Obama won by not winning. You understand this don’t you? Of course you do. All the smart people know this, you want to be smart too, don’t you? Yes I thought so. We can be smart together, Yes we CAN!

Consider this: Obama’s first term was an Epic Fail, yet he expects to be given a second term on no more than his word that it will be different (“Forward!”).

Now, let’s look at his first debate (this cycle) — also an Epic Fail. If he cannot significantly improve his performance in the next debate then what reason would anyone have (other than the most die hard Democrat idjit or skin-color-only voter) for voting for him. Will he not have proved that he is incapable of doing better, not just in the debate, but in the presidency?

Seems to me that Bambi now has a boat load more riding on his next debate performance than Romney does.

However, that’s only part of the tax plan. Romney has said he would make his overall tax changes revenue-neutral. He’d hack out deductions, exemptions, and other exclusions to broaden the tax base, for one thing. For another, he says that lowering marginal rates would increase economic activity, and hence tax revenue. These changes would counterbalance any revenue lost from rate reductions, according to Romney.

Still having a problem with that. Sounds like that if you cut those things out you are in effect increasing taxes…albeit without formally raising the tax rate.

Sounds like a bait and switch. But, there again, might be worth a try. Anything’s better than this BS of getting the rich to pay for everything.

But I still doubt that even with Romney in there that the economy will really improve, that the debt incurred by these criminals will abate, and that the printing presses will grind to a halt.

Barry will fall back on the fact that the media will do his bidding and spin him out of this. I assume President Slacker will roll out of the Choomwagon and get his lazy butt in gear. He will wait unil the last minute to get it in gear. I expect hijinks and surprises (not good ones) from Team Slacker.

“This was the first chance for the president to see how Gov. Romney operates in these debates first hand,” he said. “You have to make some adjustments to the fact that, you know, he is kind of a serial, …artful dodger. That makes it a more challenging kind of event.”

It’s too late in the game for Obama’s campaign to switch strategies. It reeks of desperation and is ironically a massive flip flop in itself. This will hurt Obama if they go down this path, this late in the game.

Wow, so the first thing that grabs my attention here is that we’re rounding $4.65 trillion up to $5 trillion without blinking an eye. I guess $350 billion can only fund the government for a measly 5 weeks, but it still sounds like a lot of money to me. I guess maybe we should see if we can do with a little less money being spent by the government…? I know, crazy idea.

I watched Romney try to get the idea through to both Obama and Lehrer, that cutting taxes will work because that frees up money for investment and consumer spending and with investment comes jobs, and additional taxpayers and growth, but it seemed all for naught. When he’s challenged on this by Obama’s handlers (via remote control override of Obama debate model v1.02), Mitt will have some striking examples of european tax models that foreshadow where Obama and his cronies would like to take us.

Obama did miss a lot of openings to bring up his talking/attack points, for whatever reasons. It was the best outcome Romney (and all of us tied to his tail) could hope for, but it wasn’t just luck.

Romney’s been preparing for these debates, and more importantly, the job of President for many years. For Obama, it was a lucky impulse purchase, and buyer’s remorse is strong.

Romney really laid wood to this tax argument, and in a way that I think voters actually could understand. There ARE three ways to close a deficit: cut spending, raise taxes, and grow the economy. But raising taxes alone never works. He is right. He isn’t quite as good as Jack Kemp in explaining marginal tax rates, but he came pretty close last night.

Have you noticed when bho is on totus his speech and anger seems to go full force after any he is talking about? Those putting bho’s talking points out for him on totus seems to actually get the real bho out for us to see? Now bho is out being the real hateful bho against Mitt.

This was bho last night, a petty little know nothing man that had no answers to Mitt saying the truth about how he had cratered our nation since elected!
L

President Obama was already out on the attack at a campaign rally in Denver earlier this morning, arguing that “the very spirited fellow” onstage last night just “couldn’t have been the real Mitt Romney”

Who are you going to believe? Our butt-kisssers in the Mainstream Media, or your lying eyes?

and for those needing to counter all of the ROMNEY LIES meme, the GOP already has out a link of 12 lies Obama spewed—funny though, all of the GOP references are LIB SOURCES (Huff Po, Andrea Mitchell, etc)confirming their own dude is lying–great strategy by the GOP to show the Libs are now eating their own!

And the flip flopper attack only works if you can prove the opponent flip-flopped during this campaign, like John Kerry did when he said “I was for it before I was against it.” The only way they can say Romney has flip-flopped is to make stuff up, like this thing about Romney not wanting more teachers. It’s BS.

And please do not tell me Obama thinks he can nail Romney as a flip flopper on any social issues, after Obama did a 180 on gay marriage just in time for his big Hollywood fundraiser. Romney will drive him into the ground like a jackhammer on that one.

So, without Mitt there to set the record straight, its back to lying for Team Obama. Good to know.

The 90 minutes that the 2 have campaigned against each other, Romney has dominated. The rest of the time, Obama does well. What is the difference? Obama can lie without being called out for being a liar.

Mitt wasn’t like -that- in any of the GOP debates. He went into Newt a few times; but not like last night. He lit Obama up the entire time.

lorien1973 on October 4, 2012 at 4:27 PM

He was as assertive as he was going to be with his own team, so yes, he held back, but no question the facts, debate mannerisms and ability to strike back was present and ready to be used on the enemy, which he destroyed.

Also I think Axelrod and compnay are really ignoring what Romney did that was the most effective for him in reaching the voters he needs to reach. The CNN meter and the Fox and NPR focus groups all showed people responding most to Romney’s talk about working together on big issues. He has neither flip-flopped nor lied about this. He nailed ObamaCare for being a partisan bill shoved through Congress with no support from the other side, and contrasted it with his health care bill that passed with only two no votes. He has a record of working with the opposition and Obama clearly doesn’t. Independent voters care more about that than about Romney’s tax plan.

Romney’s and Ryan’s tax plan intends to be revenue neutral. That might be a no go for the anti tax crowd, but the idea is to eliminate deductions and tax breaks that were always designed to motivate particular behaviors the govt wants or to reward for such behaviors. Thus the benefits were not open to all taxpayers and businesses, but to those who could perform govt approved activities like hiring veterans, building or opening businesses in low income areas etc.While some will pay more because of these deletions from the tax code, others will pay less because of the lowering of the overall rate. Where Romney/Ryan can be challenged is that while revenue neutral, it does nothing to cut the deficit. they rely on increased activity to add jobs, increase demand, and foster economic growth. That could happen, and history has examples, but it could also not occur and the deficits could grow. Reagan and Laffer believed their tax cuts would increase revenue and it did, but not enough to keep the deficits from growing due to the great increase in defense spending.

The next debate is CNN’s phony “town hall.” After Zero’s Mile High Meltdown, there will be NOTHING but nasty questions from Zero voters. Hope Romney’s ready for the onslaught. It’ll be one “I am part of the 47% you hate” and “show us your taxes” question after another. CNN will be in full Cover Zero’s Ass mode. It’ll be tougher for Romney, because he cannot just dump a bucket of fail on “ordinary citizens” (read: Zero’s campaign workers) like he did on Zero.

Rational Thought on October 4, 2012 at 4:08 PM

Exactamundo RT. And the “moderator” is big Candy (of course you are) Crowley who last night was snuggled up next to Axelfraud and consoled him by putting her hand on his knee at the end of their conversation.

Exactamundo RT. And the “moderator” is big Candy (of course you are) Crowley who last night was snuggled up next to Axelfraud and consoled him by putting her hand on his knee at the end of their conversation.

Brat on October 4, 2012 at 4:35 PM

Any day you can sneak a “Highlander” reference into the mix is a good day.

How can so many people miss the fact that if you get several million people back to work, they are not only paying taxes, but not receiving federal payments? Increased revenue and lowered spending at the same time.

The strategy which would guarantee Mr. Obama re-election was to honestly and competently govern. It’s too late for that now. but if he had honestly tried to reduce unemployment, bolster national defense, show up for security briefings, and had not completely blown hundreds of billions on stimulus, he would win in a landslide.

Mr. Obama and his people seem to be treating this election as if it was an episode of “Big Brother” or “Survivor” instead of a presidential election.

If this republic has reached a point where a majority of its people are moronic and/or amoral enough to re-elect Barack Obama, life as we have known it is going to change much for the worse.

The next debate is CNN’s phony “town hall.” After Zero’s Mile High Meltdown, there will be NOTHING but nasty questions from Zero voters. Hope Romney’s ready for the onslaught. It’ll be one “I am part of the 47% you hate” and “show us your taxes” question after another. CNN will be in full Cover Zero’s Ass mode. It’ll be tougher for Romney, because he cannot just dump a bucket of fail on “ordinary citizens” (read: Zero’s campaign workers) like he did on Zero.

Rational Thought on October 4, 2012 at 4:08 PM

There you go, we have the official name for last night, -Mile High Meltdown.

Yep, Like I said, Debate #2 is going to be chicago style BS. AxelFraud knows he has to get into the Gutter Politics of old to try & pull this one out, cause his guy can’t fight with facts, truth or Track Record! Mitt better be ready for some real down & dirty Shiite! AxelFraud also is threatening the Obama media for not doing enough to protect the Messiah. They’ve been told to attack Romney or they will never get into a Messiah event again!
Final UPDATE for those following:How to take on the Obama Enemy media: http://paratisiusa.blogspot.com/2012/09/an-open-letter-to-those-who-should-know.html?spref=tw

How can so many people miss the fact that if you get several million people back to work, they are not only paying taxes, but not receiving federal payments? Increased revenue and lowered spending at the same time.

Vashta.Nerada on October 4, 2012 at 4:39 PM

But Nancy Pelosi said that unemployment payments was the best way to jump start the economy.

For another, he says that lowering marginal rates would increase economic activity, and hence tax revenue. These changes would counterbalance any revenue lost from rate reductions, according to Romney.

To be fair — That’s pure speculation a la “the stimulus will keep unemployment under 8%”.